Hope
by Nick.Tsuki
Summary: ANBU is the division responsible for rescuing people from human trafficking, finding homes for those subdued to a hopeless life to feed crime and drug-lords. Sasuke Uchiha was the best agent of his time and he had a mission he couldn't fail: save a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, the key to a past he couldn't unfold. Warnings inside. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ANBU is the division responsible for rescuing people from human trafficking, finding homes for those subdued to a hopeless life to feed crime and drug-lords. Sasuke Uchiha was the best agent of his time and he had a mission he couldn't fail: save a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, the key to a past he couldn't unfold.**

General Warnings: violence, prostitution, abuse, alcohol, drugs, sexual intercourse, death, human trafficking, age gap, my first attempt of Drama.

**Betaed by ~breather s2**

**Chapter 1 – The silent plea.**

Naruto gave up.

A strangled groan left his lips when his body was hit with a crowbar once again. He knew it would happen to him someday; after all, an orphan street rat like him wouldn't survive for long.

The kid didn't feel his body, just pain and dullness, he was losing his consciousness. He felt relief when everything stopped and the dark consumed him. He no longer had to ache.

The tears were fresh on his dirtied face, trails of frustration and anger.

The rain had stopped and the night sky was bright with the stars rivalling the city's lights.

No one would look two men carrying a kid's body, not in that part of town. People had to survive, little ones depended on them to eat, and it was already hard enough to care for themselves.

The police force was weak and wrecked with corruption, unable to survive on its own. Rich people in downtown needed protection more than the poor souls on the suburbs.

Every other day, a child would disappear from the streets they lived in. It was relief to those who suffered from their crimes; one less pair of hungry eyes begging them, no need to worry with the brat that pickpocketed their wallet or their phones. They were old enough to understand their actions and pay for their crimes, so dying because of their lifestyle was almost a blessing to the city.

…

Blue eyes opened again.

A growl of pain when his body protested to move.

He was inside a cage, like the animal he was.

Naruto embraced his fate without struggling, differently from the crying kids on the other cages, yelling and banging the steel bars like it would give them a chance to escape. Naruto knew what they would get from all that noise: a shot in the head and a ticket straight to hell.

He didn't flinch when a gun was fired.

Silence.

Living on the streets for as long as he remembered provided Naruto the chance to know things about the world people assumed were tales. He knew what was going to happen to him.

If he were lucky, prostitution.

If he wasn't, ripped open to get his organs and then left behind to bleed to death.

The little kids could still hope to be taken to a rich family, live a worthy life and pretend they didn't remember about _that_. It happened to one in every few thousand, but it was a better hope than for him, a 14 years old brat.

Naruto was feeling optimistic at the moment. A life as prostitute would give him a few years before he died of a STD or was murdered on the streets. He could still hope to get some rich bastard's attention and live like a personal sex slave. It was his best shot. There was no dignity, but he would survive. He could take a bit of pain in the ass for a warm plate of food and shelter against the rain and drunkards.

The smell of blood and vomit and _death_ didn't upset his stomach. He had lived in a box in an ally that smelled the same. _'It is almost like home,'_ he thought sarcastically, feeling his body rocking with the movements of the vehicle that transported them.

He was no more than one of a load of animals, ready for slaughter.

Closing his eyes and letting his body rest, Naruto had no thoughts about future, past or present.

He knew this would happen to him, sooner or later.

…

When his final destination came, three days later with minimal water and no food, the children were divided in lines and chained to each other. The older kids knew what awaited them, but the younger ones still cried and pissed themselves in fear.

It was obvious to Naruto which group of children was fated to death and which group was fated to a beautiful lie. The inferior ones, those missing limbs, those blinded, those rejected and defected, died first. The plain ones, like himself, who could do one thing or another, went into prostitution, child pornography, or slave work. The better-looking ones, toddlers and babies, who had been fed and changed were the lucky ones going to a home.

The moment he was chained into the middle group, Naruto knew his fate was sealed, no hope, no dreams, no illusions.

He patiently waited for the gates of the trucks to open so they could be transported to their final destination. A brothel, a pimp, a field, an owner, it would all mean the same in the end. Naruto knew he would have to bite his tongue if he wanted to survive, to drop his head and _obey_.It shouldn't be that difficult.

A gun pressing against his back shoved him inside another truck that would bring him right to the person _responsible_ for himself and a few more kids. A few would die on the way, others killed for disobedience, and yet more by the labor itself.

Naruto didn't care. He denied the tears rolling down his face, denied his fears, denied his trembling body, denied his dark thoughts, the shadows, the silence. He denied it all.

He would be dead on the inside the moment the cart was reopened.

The bright lights of the day would burn his eyes and his soul, making him a living corpse.

And he was right.

When the doors opened and the strong rays of sun invaded the dark box, he waited for the yelled commands, some from other languages, shoving him to what awaited the boy. He waited and waited, but only silence greeted him.

He opened his eyes and saw a mass of people in black uniforms, masks of animals on their faces. Naruto wondered whether he was dead, dreaming, or hallucinating with fever or any other disease he might have. It couldn't be true, his eyes had to be lying.

A man with a fox mask destroyed his chains and helped him to his feet, dragging him out of the dark box that had confined him for hours. His legs hurt and he could barely stand on his own, but he followed the man to another area.

There was a mess of dead corpses on the ground, blood, bones and the smell of gunfire in the air. His body shook as he felt more tears coming to him.

The man removed his mask and wrapped the boy's small body in a blanket, his black eyes promising things Naruto refused to believe. Big lies like 'everything will be fine' and 'nothing bad will happen.'

Naruto jerked his gaze away, refusing to look into those dark eyes any longer, horribly familiar eyes that he shouldn't, _couldn't_, remember, but somehow did. No, he was crazy and delirious, high from the hunger and herbs.

The man held his shaking body close to him, lifting him over his shoulder to carry him out to a secluded area. The other people continued their work, feeding and saving the children from their confinement and cruel ending.

Women and men carefully took the children, wrapped them in blankets, fed and held them, and then placed them on a small truck, where they were cleaned and treated with the few resources they had.

Naruto didn't let the man go, not even after being treated and cleaned. He _needed_ someone and that man with dark eyes was the right person for him. His blue eyes begged him not to let go, not to leave him.

Traveling to an unknown destination, Naruto sobbed with the other's arms around him.

For the first time in all his life, he hoped.

A silent plea begged for his world to change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: ANBU is the division responsible for rescuing people from human trafficking, finding homes for those subdued to a hopeless life to feed crime and drug-lords. Sasuke Uchiha was the best agent of his time and he had a mission he couldn't fail: save a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, the key to a past he couldn't unfold.**

General Warnings: violence, prostitution, abuse, alcohol, drugs, sexual intercourse, death, human trafficking, age gap, my first attempt of Drama.

**Betaed by: ~breather**

**Chapter 2 – ANBU**

Sasuke ran.

Silent steps as he reached his destination, agile and adept like the mask fixed on his face. He wouldn't fail this mission, like he hadn't failed any mission since his seventh one.

At 24, Sasuke was among the few highly specialized Captains of the ANBU, one of the world's biggest organizations that fought crimes against children and human trafficking.

"Genkuro speaking, Captain Inari, target in sight, position ready to shoot at order."

"Stay in position," Sasuke ordered through the technological device. "Koan, Gengoro, your positions."

"Gengoro here. Ready to shoot, Captain."

"Target in sight… Koan ready, Captain."

"I will not tolerate failure on this mission." His voice said as dark as always. "Stay in position and wait for further instructions, permission to shoot granted."

Sasuke moved stealthily around the area, the desert frontier between Fire and Wind countries. The operation needed to be silent, one wrong move, one person left alive for a second too long and they had failed.

He positioned his weapon as he calculated the delay time it would take for his orders to be sent and the time the first bullet would hit the first target. It had to be precise.

Sasuke's voice was calm as he whispered his next orders. "2.84 seconds." He counted the calculated time and shoot, silently and precisely, _deadly_.

He watched as the traffickers fell dead, their blood spilling from their perforated craniums.

"Rescue team, go!" Sasuke ordered, jumping from his hiding place to the camp of spread dead bodies, his red scarf flying behind him.

The sound of steel against steel disrupted the silence of that morning. The sun, strong in the desert sky, illuminated the tragedy of the operation. Men and women, dressed in black and silver and wearing animal masks, opened the carts of the three trucks left on that area.

Carrying a blanket in his hands, Sasuke walked to the cage where a blond boy with whiskers on his cheeks sat compressed in the narrow space, blue eyes dull and lifeless. '_This boy,' _Sasuke thought, _'that's him.'_

He kneeled down and took his mask out to show his face to the boy, who looked so scared and fragile. Behind the terrorized blue eyes a fire burned, fueled by hatred and loneliness. Sasuke picked the boy up and walked towards the emergency vans, where many children were receiving first aid.

"Where's Kono-hana?" he asked into his radio as they approached, getting the immediate response of his underling's location.

Walking through the mess of corpses and the mourning of the little bodies unable to be saved, Sasuke thought about the kid in his arms. _'Naruto Uzumaki, male, 14 years old, orphan. Primary target of a criminal organization specialized in child abduction. Reason: unknown.'_

The kid, whose eyes tickled at the corners of his mind, held mysteries in his young body that Sasuke was confident he couldn't be aware of. Naruto was too young yet to comprehend the importance of his own existence.

Kono-hana treated and cleaned Naruto, medical hands highly trained to save and to kill. Sasuke didn't let him go as much as the kid himself gripped on his black uniform, his eyes focused on reassuring the boy he promised with his life to protect him.

"Captain Inari." The woman with red hair and a fox mask in hands bowed respectfully. "We're ready to go, sir." A small boy in her arms looked around in curiosity and fear.

Sasuke inclined his head towards her. "Get Koan and Gengoro, your mission is not over, Genkuro."

She nodded and left, talking to the boy in her arms until she gave him to another person. As ANBU, the emotional stability they were required to have was not limited to a stone heart. Coldness to kill, warmness to save. Their mission went far ahead from saving bodies from cruelty and mistreat, they helped humans and that required love and patience.

Naruto dozed off in his arms, shifting from sleep and awake, his body still trembling from the after-effects of his ordeal. Sasuke looked serious in the faces of his main team: Genkuro, Koan and Gengoro.

"As your leader, I acknowledge your abilities, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo. As my best team, your next mission consists of protecting our trucks from imminent danger and keep me informed on our situation."

The three placed the fox masks over their faces, a symbol of loyalty and trust to their immediate superior, Captain Inari. Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo disappeared before his eyes, dispersing to flawlessly perform their operations.

Captain Sasuke stood in the middle of his auxiliaries, ready to part. "As captain of this operation, I'm here to remind you our mission is not over until these children are safe and guided to better lives. And those we were incapable of saving now shall be respected and mourned so their souls don't wander lost."

Men and women mourned in silence for the deaths of the children, a reminder of the reason they couldn't allow themselves the luxury of failure. Some prayed for their souls to find the peace their young lives couldn't obtain.

A silent reminder of the worst of the human kind.

Climbing on the truck's back, Sasuke held the boy close to his body. He could hear the kid's sobbing and hiccups, felt his fever through his gloved hands, letting him calm down on his own. His dark eyes sent the message Naruto needed and his small and malnourished body reacted to adjust to his new reality.

At sunset, Sasuke absently ran his fingers through the dirtied and messy blond hair of the sleeping boy in his arms. Naruto had fallen asleep from exhaustion, his hands gripping on him tightly even in his sleep. The boy didn't mumble or snore; he lay still and silent to the point that Sasuke felt the need to touch his nose to ensure the kid was breathing.

The rocking caused by the truck driving on the sand created a soothing swing for the children carefully wrapped in blankets and pillows. Some still cried in fear and stress. Sasuke's orders were to soothe them with gentleness, slowly helping them to trust others again.

"Sasuke?"

Humming in acknowledge, his eyes left Naruto to face a woman in white coat above the black uniform. She flicked her green eyes to the kid, before they landed back on the Captain.

"I'm taking over from now," her firm voice told him softly, unwilling to disturb the sleeping children.

"No," he told her stubbornly. "Your mission is as a doctor, not my sub-captain, Sakura."

"I feel the need to remind you of my ability to execute both, Captain _Inari_."

"Your capabilities were not questioned,_ Kono-hana._ Your ability to follow orders from your superior, however…_"_

His dark eyes clashed with her green ones. Sakura's unswerving determination burned against her superior. She didn't spend her whole life in self-sacrifice to be ordered around, and not by the man with whom she had grown up together. Sakura understood her position, but she understood Sasuke better.

She took a long breath and sat beside him, observing how his hands caressed the blond hair of the kid. _'It is just the beginning,'_ she thought.

"Sasuke, listen, we know this is no play. I'm fully aware of how capable and strong you are, but you _need_ to trust me and share this responsibility," she tried to reason.

Sasuke ignored her, unwilling to give in.

A clash of metal against metal proved the woman's impatience. Her sword licked the blood from the small cut inflicted on her Captain's face, her green eyes icy and deadly at his stubbornness. Their faces were inches apart, electricity flowing between them.

A mumble and the movement of the body in his care brought Sasuke back to the truck, his hand smoothly sliding his sword back to its case. "Hn." He grunted, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Do as you please."

Sakura grinned widely, her sadistic nature laughing at her Captain's loss.

Sasuke touched the device in his ear. "Captain Inari speaking, sub-Captain Kono-hana in action from now on. Her orders are _my_ orders."

The orders were received with the expected respect by the squad members working on this operation. Three months of investigation, weeks of planning and days of tracking the gang responsible for the children's kidnapping and selling. Sasuke had meticulously orchestrated the operation from the moment they followed the trucks to the moment the kids were in the ANBU's headquarters, where they'd go through psychotherapy and medical follow-up.

There was not a moment he stopped thinking and paying attention to the constant updates from his team. His mind ran with the information of his men and women's locations, their trajectory through the desert displayed on the screen guided by satellite, and the high possibility of a counter-attack.

The criminal organization's higher-ups wouldn't be quiet for long, they already knew something had happened to their _load_, and they wanted _answers_. Not only answers, but also solutions to minimize their financial and commercial loss.

"Captains, suspect in perimeter A:6.3. Permission to shoot." Suigetsu's voice echoed in the devices implanted in Sasuke and Sakura's ears.

"Permission denied, Koan," Sakura answered quickly. "Undergo further investigation. Update in 5 minutes."

"Yes, Captain Kono-hana."

Green eyes looked up the sky from the truck's covered cart, the sun on the horizon still tinted the sand in golden and orange while the grey clouds painted the same sand in caramel spots. It was a rare occurrence for that region, the rain was scarce and the wind blew strong.

"It's the fox's wedding," Sasuke commented looking at the sky. He felt Sakura's questioning glance, and sighed. "When it rains and the sun is still shining." He explained briefly. "It's a good omen. It's said that the foxes will seek revenge on uninvited guests."

She smirked at him, noticing the red glint in his dark eyes. "So Inari's messengers are out for a banquet," Sakura mused, watching the sun shower falling on the desert, slowly bringing the night.

"Hn." His eyes focused on the consuming darkness, his hand went to his ear. "Gyosha, change route, we're being followed." Sasuke looked at his sub-Captain and nodded.

"Genkuro, Gengoro, hunt!" came her orders. "Koan, your situation."

"We have a problem, ma'am. It looks like it's a kid wandering through the desert," Suigetsu answered, closing the distance between him and his previous target.

"Bring the kid to the camp. Area G:1.7, 10 minutes," Sasuke ordered, looking around to notice the children were waking up.

"Mission accomplished, prey eliminated," Karin answered with seriousness.

"Gengoro speaking, Captains, permission to clean area," Juugo asked, observing a group of people with heavy weapon in hands jumping from a black pickup.

"Permission granted."

The change in speed made the truck's swinging stronger. Most of the children were already awake, asking where they were or crying. A few were still secluded in their own world, quiet and scared.

Naruto's body twitched before his eyes opened. Instinct made him react by rolling off Sasuke, widened blue eyes taking in his new location. Memories of his previous days flowed into his mind, reminding him he was no longer in danger, if he believed these people's words.

"Where you taking me?" he asked, looking Sasuke dead in the eye.

"To a safe place, I promise."

Naruto didn't believe promises, but those eyes… His mind was tortured by those dark eyes. He _had_ to remember, had to understand why his gut trusted this man. Naruto didn't trust anyone.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Captain Inari."

Naruto snorted. "'Course you are, and I'm tenant Izanagi!" the boy answered with disdain, losing the previous feeling he had about the man.

Sasuke frowned at the boy, slightly impressed. "Where did you hear that?"

Naruto smiled at him foxily, an arched eyebrow indicating a return to his normal self. "Ha, thought I was a dumb fucker, ne?"

"I didn't say that, Naruto, I was just surprised you know ancient mythology." Sasuke still monitored the operation through the corners of his eyes, standing up as he felt the truck stop in the pre-established location. Sakura watched the exchange briefly, then left to do her work.

"I know lots of stuff! Hey! How the hell do you know my name?!" the boy yelled, reacting the only way he knew.

Sasuke had already jumped off the truck by the time Naruto stood up. The captain looked at him and offered his hand. "Explanations will be given in due time. Now come, it's time to eat."

Naruto ignored the hand and jumped on his own, forgetting how weak his body was. The kid grunted when Sasuke helped him to his feet without a word, even when his heart told him to trust the man, Naruto's mind, used to betrayal and cruelty, couldn't.

The trucks of ANBU formed a light circle with their headlights, where the agents organized themselves to prepare dinner and look at the children's injuries. It was harder to control the children when they were past their initial shock.

As the younger ones cried desperately or ran from side to side, the older children stuck to the habits that gave them comfort: running away, hiding, or stealing. Hungry and rude, the kids would steal food and stuff their faces as much as they could. However, the agents were trained to deal with the situation, patient and determined to stop and talk to every child until they convinced them that they wouldn't harm them in any way.

Despite his frowning features and stubborn attitude, Naruto followed Sasuke around like a shadow, unconsciously clinging to him every time someone got closer to them. Sasuke was giving instructions to his subordinates and receiving constant updates from his main team to make sure they didn't put the children in danger for stopping in that area.

"Captain Inari, area is clear."

"Return to the camp, 20 minutes until we depart," Sasuke informed his main team, waiting for Suigetsu to come back with a child.

It wasn't rare to find lost children wandering around that area. That region was especially used for child trafficking due to the lack of monitoring and the sandy soil, permitting the easy passage of the traffickers to the corrupted government of Wind country. A few of the children were able to escape, so when a rescue team wasn't working in the area and could save their fragile lives, they succumbed to death under the precarious conditions the desert offered.

"Captain." Sasuke turned to see the fox mask of his subordinate still in place.

"Koan, where's the child?"

"I left her under medical cares, sir," he answered as he took off the mask, eyeing the boy clinging to his captain.

"Hn. Eat and rest for now, Suigetsu."

The man nodded and left.

Sasuke looked around, satisfied to see that most of the agents and children were eating without major problems. When Karin and Juugo came back, he pressed his device again. "Teams 3 and 9, guard our perimeter."

"Sasuke," Sakura stood next to him with a bowl of food in each hand. "Eat, that's an order."

He accepted the food in silence, sitting on the floor with Naruto by his side. Sasuke watched as the kid gulped the food down his throat, starving. Every action the agent observed was a reminder of how unfair and cruel society could be.

After every child was fed and treated, before they parted to their final destination, the agents gathered in a circle with the children.

Many of the kids felt scared, lost, in the middle of nowhere with masked people that could betray them any moment. They didn't have any choice but to obey, the children had seen the weapons, had seen the dead bodies slaughtered on the ground after the carts were open and their cages destroyed. They feared the agents as much as they hoped for them to save them.

Sasuke stood in the middle. "I know you are scared," he told the kids. "I know you don't understand what's happening, so before we part, I want to remind you of an old tale."

Sasuke left in silence and sat in the circle with Naruto, whose blue eyes glinted in curiosity and alert. Four people walked to the center, different masks placed on their faces: A wolf, a fox, a bobcat and a cougar. The story began:

'_Before the desert was actually here, this used to be forested rivers where the Shoshone Bannocks once lived in harmony. There used to be lots of water and food for them, so they were very happy here._

_But then all of a sudden, as the legends say, a warrior group appeared. They were very vicious little people who drove the Shoshone Bannocks away from this prime forest area. They were experts with their bows and arrows. And so the Shoshone Bannocks held a council, a great council, and they were wondering what they were going to do with these evil beings._

_So they elected one of their most prominent medicine men to journey out, say a prayer, do a vision quest and try to figure out how to get rid of the vicious little people that came in and invaded their territory. The old medicine man agreed and he took a journey into a forest. He followed a bright star until the shining guide led him into an opening._

_There was the wolf, the fox, the bobcat, and the cougar. The cougar had a head of an Indian and his paws were hands, which made the medicine man scared. But that cougar turned around and talked to him in Shoshone and said, "Do not be scared." The cougar had heard from the animals in the forest that the medicine man was coming, so he said, "Don't be scared of the bobcat, the wolf, the fox because they are spirits. We'll help you. What do you need?"_

_So the medicine man told them that these evil little people had entered their territory and had run them off, and they were now looking to be rid of the invaders. The spirits held a council and then the leader turned around and said, "We will help you, under one condition: that none of your people, be it Shoshone or Bannock, will hunt the cougar, hunt the bobcat, hunt the fox, or hunt the wolf. You must not eat them and you must not kill them. Stay away from them. If you agree to this condition, then the spirits will help the Shoshone Bannocks drive these people out."_

_Then the cougar told him to go back to his people and hold a big council. "Tell the people what I told you," said the cougar. So the medicine man went back to his people and he followed that star again, that bright star that led him back home. He told the Shoshone Bannocks to bring their wives and bring their children. He said, "We're going to hold a great council." And then they did. He told them what the spirits had told him._

_Some of the warriors did not believe him, but the medicine man argued that it was real, that the spirits want all the Shoshone Bannocks to journey with him, back to the spirits to show that he is telling the truth. So there was a big migration of Shoshone Bannocks that followed the star and followed the medicine man._

_They came into the clearing and the women and children were scared because they saw the spirits there—the wolf, the fox, the bobcat, and the cougar. Especially the cougar, the leader of the spirits, because he had a head of an Indian and his paws were hands._

_The cougar told them, "Do not be scared. We are the spirits. We know what you've come for. We will help you." And so the spirits said their prayers and all of a sudden the medicine man started rising into the air. And as he rose up into the air, the spirits called lightning down from the sky. The forest burst into fire. It surrounded those evil little beings and they burned. Then the fire died away and the medicine man returned to the ground. And the spirits said, "You are safe now."_

_So that's one reason why the Shoshone Bannocks—even to this day I haven't seen it happen yet—the Shoshone Bannock will not hunt the wolf, the fox, the bobcat or the cougar, because they are still upholding their promise to the spirits for helping them get rid of those vicious little beings.'_

Sasuke could see how the story reached the children. Scared and lost, harmed and threated by evil, they could trust ANBU.

"Don't be scared, I'll help you," he told Naruto above a whisper, as the boy once again slipped to unconsciousness.

"We're ready to part, Captain Inari." Sakura whispered to him, walking as again the children were taken to the trucks and tucked in to sleep. "This is where we part ways, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded. "I leave them in your care, Sakura."

"I will do my best, my Captain," she whispered with a small smile and turned her back to him.

Sakura was ready to assume command of the operation from that point on, to guide the agents and children to the safety of their headquarters in Konoha, while Sasuke would continue on his own on a different mission.

The Captain placed the sleeping boy in a car and hopped in. He felt his body adjusting to the seat, getting comfortable as he closed his eyes and permitted himself to sleep for a few hours. Sasuke trusted his subordinates with his life and he would need his full ability to take Naruto all the way to Suna.

**AN: I hope this is not disappointing. I wasn't expecting so many favorites and follows for the first chapter, which makes me feel very happy and pressured at the same time. **

**I decided to use codenames for when they're on missions because it makes more sense to me, but I hope it didn't get confusing. Should I make a list or something to correlate their real names to their codenames?**

**Thank you for the support.**

_**Guest Review:**__ Thank you for reviewing. Well, yeah, you made me think about my choice of words and while I can't reveal much without spoiling the story, I thank you for that. I changed to 'unfold' instead of discover, because the 'past' refers to pasts events that happened that might (or not) have been lived by Sasuke. Does it clear it out for you? I hope so. Yes, I wasn't looking forward to write chapters and chapter of Naruto being raped either (and I guess there are already many stories with this plot, so I'm trying something different). Thank you again._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: ANBU is the division responsible for rescuing people from human trafficking, finding homes for those subdued to a hopeless life to feed crime and drug-lords. Sasuke Uchiha was the best agent of his time and he had a mission he couldn't fail: save a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, the key to a past he couldn't unfold.**

General Warnings: violence, prostitution, abuse, alcohol, drugs, sexual intercourse, death, human trafficking, age gap, my first attempt of Drama.

**Chapter 3 – Naruto Uzumaki.**

The roar of the car resonated across the sand impeding its passage. Sasuke attempted to drive smoothly but the loose soil hindered the task, causing the car to tremble noisily as it struggled and failed to maintain speed. Captain's eyes focused solely on his front, his mind running wild with the responsibility in his hands.

"Oi, where's everyone?" Naruto demanded angrily. "Where you takin' me, asshole?" he yelled at Sasuke, nervous and agitated with his current situation. He didn't know what would happen to him and that uncertainty disturbed him more than his previous assuredness of death.

"We're heading to Suna," the captain eventually answered, as impatience consumed him with worry. He needed to take the kid to Master Jiraya for protection; it was vital to fight Akatsuki.

"WHAT?! I'm not going to that shithole!" the boy exclaimed through gnashing teeth, and then proceeded to unlock the car's door in attempt to run.

Sasuke saw the action from the corner of his eye, immediately slamming the brakes to a forced stop. But that was a mistake Naruto was expecting the captain to make, so he easily opened to door and hopped out of the car, running on the scalding sand as fast as he could.

Naruto was small for his age; his body was short and slender, but also agile. After eating and resting, the young boy could prove to be a challenge for the ANBU's captain to reclaim. Sasuke groaned and cursed his stupidity, turning the wheel to the right to follow Naruto over the sand's mountains.

The engine roared louder to climb the sand, managing in time to see Naruto sliding down the dune to his left. Sasuke abandoned the vehicle to run after the boy under the sun, slowed down by the shifting sand, he saw the kid sticking his hand into his pocket to retrieve a handful of leaves, which he stuffed into his mouth.

It didn't take long, however, for Naruto to lose his stamina and fumble to an exhausted stop. When he turned his blue eyes behind him, Sasuke was there, tall and dark in his uniform, extending/spreading his gloved palm, "Spit!" he ordered in a tone that made the younger tremble in the inside. "Now, Naruto."

Naruto looked at him defiantly and gobbed out the mixture of chewed leaves and spit, smirking at the knowledge he had defied the man in his own orders. Sasuke didn't lose his composure at the gesture; it was too immature and childish to be taken seriously, although it was something of a relief to find a hint of ferocity still remaining in Naruto.

"We'll go back to the car and talk. I have questions for you and I'm sure you have some for me as well." His tone was stern and impatient; the last thing Sasuke needed was to waste time.

"I have my questions and you have yours too, blahblah. I wear a fancy scarf that makes me look cool," Naruto scoffed, mimicking the other's words with a mocking sneer.

They walked back to the car and continued on their initial route on the desert, heading to Suna. Naruto crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks, unwilling to cooperate with Sasuke. As far as he knew, the captain could be just like those guys, intending on selling him or using him in some way or another.

"So," the older started, clearing his throat in order to soften his voice. "Tell me what those leaves were. If you answer me with the truth, I'll tell everything you want to know."

Naruto hummed over the bargain, weighting the pros and cons of trusting the guy. Of course, it was the man who had saved and fed him, who had promised to protect him and had run after him in a desert under a scalding sun, not to mention the feeling in his gut telling him to trust the man. The blond boy mused, smirking at Sasuke's slightly apprehensive eyes.

"We gotta deal," he told the older with a grin splitting his face. "Just promise I'm not gonna be in trouble if I tell you."

"I assure you, Naruto. Whatever you might have done in the past, it doesn't matter anymore."

Blue eyes frowned at the expected answer, but his mouth opened without restraint, "Those were basils I stole from the truck when you weren't looking. I was thinking only of myself and those were the only thing that fit my pockets, I'm sorry Captain Nori*."

"It's Captain _Inari_, smartass," Sasuke responded to the boy's mischievous smirk. "It's fine as long as you realize your mistakes. Do you have any more with you?"

"No sir Captain. I stuffed it all in my mouth. You can look my pockets if you want to," the boy said as he turned his pockets inside out.

"I trust you, Naruto," Sasuke told him with a ghost of a smile on his lips, "And I want you to trust me. Can I count on you to be honest with me?"

Naruto bit his lower lip in thought, then nodded his head with conviction. "Yes sir, I promise."

"I'm glad you're willing to cooperate," Sasuke said with his eyes on the road. "I want to know if the information I have about you is correct." The boy nodded even if it seemed like Sasuke wasn't paying attention to him. "Do you know your full name?"

"No, Naruto is all I got. Because I was found behind a ramen shop."

"Hn." Dark eyes glanced to the monitor showing no threats in the 500m area around the car, "How old do you think you are?" he asked casually, trying to understand the boy's mind.

Naruto shrugged unconcernedly. "11, 12, doesn't matter. Not like anyone throws me birthday parties on a dumpster." Sasuke would have pegged the boy as 10 based on the maturity of his face, although with his small size he could have passed for an eight-year-old. Despite his youthful appearance, the notion of an innocent child dissipated from the Captain's mind as they talked.

"Did you ever go to school? Can you read or write?"

"Pft, as if," Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "I went to school once, but you don't learn how to survive there. I don't need to write or read to live."

"And how did you survive on the streets on your own?"

Naruto seemed unfazed by the direct question as he shrugged his shoulders. "Doing stuff, begging, stealing, whatever got me money."

"Hn. I don't have more questions. What do you want to know?"

The blue orbs shone with the opportunity, his mouth moved faster as he spoke question after question. "What's your real name? And why do you have a mask? Who were those people with the animals' masks? Why do you guys do it? Are you the good guys? Why are we going to Suna and why am I the only one separated from the rest? You need to answer the truth, Captain."

"Fair," Sasuke agreed. "My real name is Seaweed, me and the other people with the masks work for UNBA, an organization responsible for buying little kids and selling them to the circus so they can become happy clowns, bearded women or flying men. I'm taking you to Suna because you're special, Naruto, you'll become the biggest attraction there and that's vital for the world." His voice dripped sarcasm and disdain, his hands gripping the wheel harder at each spoken word.

The initial amazement in Naruto fell, died with the other's answer, leaving him dumbfounded. "WHAT?! What kind of bullshit it is that, you fucking ass?"

The older man sent a death glare to the boy, no amusement on his features. "If you lie to me, I lie to you. It's simple as that."

"I wasn't fucking _lying!"_ Naruto yelled in protest. "You fooled me you bastard and I believed in you! How could you do it? I thought you wanted to _help_ me!" Fake tears fell down his cheeks, causing him to look pitiful, annoying the Captain enough to make him roll his eyes.

"Don't bother trying, Naruto, I can tell when you lie. If you want real answers, you first give me real answers or you can shut up and I'll take you to Suna in the dark." That was final.

The kid was taken aback by the answer, irritation running up from his stomach to his mouth. "That's not FAIR!" Sasuke cringed at the yell piercing his ear, then softened his face to entreat Naruto again.

"Listen kid, I can't help you if you don't want me to help you. I'm not asking you to tell me how your life on the streets was, I already know the pain and the loneliness." He, as ANBU, saw the harsh reality.

Naruto fidgeted with his thumbs, uneasy to say the truth. From experience, the truth was never a good option, lying was better, but he didn't seem to have a choice here. He looked at the man and sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll answer the truth."

He looked at through the car's glass to the same scenery. "Naruto Uzumaki, 13 or 14 as far as I know. I can read and write, and count, never went to school. There was an old lady who gave me shelter and food, taught a bunch of stuff including history and literature." He smiled fondly at the memory. "She had a son that never visited her, but one day he did and found me so he kicked me out and sent her away. I don't know what happened to her."

"I'm sorry," came a soothing response, making Naruto hum. He flinched when he felt a gloved hand running through his disheveled hair, but spoke nothing. "Do you know her name?"

"Biwako."

"I can contact her when I return to Konoha, if you want me to," Sasuke offered.

"Nah, it's fine," Naruto answered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hn." Then Sasuke smirked seeing the boy sigh in relief. "One more thing, Naruto." The smirk widened as Naruto's shoulders tensed. "Toss the leaves in your palm outside and tell me where you got them."

"Shit," he mumbled, ill-tempered, and opened the window to toss a few more leaves he had hidden in his fists. "Those guys with the guns gave them to us, okay?"

"Naruto," Sasuke warned only once, making the boy groan and hit the back of his head on the seat in annoyance. "First tell me what those leaves were."

"Those were coca plants," he answered easily. "They grow in a farm on the border of Konoha. Don't know who plants them, just that the guy makes a lot money with powder, but if you're fast enough you can get a few leaves," the boy said proudly as he remembered how he got away without a scratch.

"How long have you been chewing coca?"

"Not long enough to get me addicted if that's what you want to know," Naruto answered smoothly. The truth was he had stolen it more times than was entirely safe considering the risks of getting caught, but it was still the least harmful way he had found of fighting the hunger and the pain.

Sasuke didn't comment on that, silencing himself as he sent a message to Sakura to remind her to test the children for drug intake. Naturally Sakura answered '_politely' _asking if he wanted to teach her how to do her job.

"Alright Captain Nori," Naruto giggled to himself. "I answered your questions now I want my answers."

"My name is Sasuke, you can check the documents in the glove box if you don't believe me. I work for ANBU, a division under a global human rights' organization. We are specialized in saving children and adults from human trafficking and returning them to their homes if possible. If not, we provide them with new homes and a better path through education."

"Cool! So you kill the bad guys and rescue people," Naruto exclaimed making shooting and explosion sounds with his lips. "Hey, did you save me before? Was it ANBU that killed those guys in the alley? Oh man, that was a close one. I really thought I was dead."

Sasuke frowned at the unusual question. "No, I didn't save you before and I doubt it was ANBU," he answered, feeling guilty over the notion that Naruto had almost died before he was even aware of the boy's existence.

"Whatever, you didn't say why we're going to fucking _Suna_. It's a shithole!"

Sasuke knew about the difficult situation of the Wind country's capital. The city was entirely corrupted, with half of the population living under the poverty line; only the rich elite had access to clean water and quality food. That, mixed with the high temperatures of the desert and the drug-oriented chaos, made it a veritable hell to live in.

"I'm taking you to a man named Jiraya in Suna. From there, he will take you to a small village called Oto, where you'll start your new life," Sasuke answered accordingly, leaving unnecessary information aside. Naruto didn't need to know the details of the operation, why it was vital he stayed in Oto under Jiraya's protection against Akatsuki.

"Eh, okay, but why _me_?"

The captain gripped harder on the wheel, unconsciously speeding the car. "My mission is to take you – Naruto Uzumaki, male, 14 years old, blue eye and blond hair, tan complexion and the appearance of a child – to Suna in safety." He glanced at the disappointed boy. "I don't know why '_you'._ I'm only following orders." He lied at the end, convincing himself it was for the boy's wellbeing. Naruto didn't need to know he had a highly specialized crime organization after his head.

The blond kid shook the tightening feeling off his chest, instead looking at the route displayed on the car's monitor. "Sasuke, why are we contouring the desert? Isn't it faster to take the HO-76 Route?"

"Faster, but easier to get target. We'll go to the north to the village of Ishi to rest for a night, then we head south to Suna," Sasuke explained calmly, attentive to the radar.

"Where's Ishi?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"It's in the border of Wind country, close to the Land of Earth."

"Captain Inari," Sakura's voice reached his ears through the device. "The results of Naruto's blood analysis are concluded."

"Send the information immediately, Kono-hana."

"Yes, sir."

The boy looked at him with an arched eyebrow, but the captain ignored him in order to access the report Sakura had sent him. He stopped the car and downloaded the file, frowning at what he read.

"Look at me," he asked the boy, touching under his eye to observe his pupils. "Did you chew coca when you were encaged?"

Naruto avoided his eyes, feeling uncomfortable with Sasuke's gloves on his face. "Can you blame me for that?"

"No, it's just…" it was impossible, their analysis were precise. "Step out of the car for a moment."

Goosebumps ran up the boy's spine, a knot formed in his stomach as fear tormented his mind. 'Sasuke wouldn't drop him in the desert, right?' he tried to convince himself, unsuccessfully. Naruto needed to run, but he had no more leaves to chew and Sasuke had a gun and a sword, so it was futile to try to escape alive.

"Calm down, Naruto," the man said softly. "I want to take a blood sample from you, it won't harm you."

"Why?" he asked in a tremulous voice, slapping away the hand that attempted to touch him.

Dark eyes softened at the frightened boy. "Because I want to know if you are sick, so I can heal you."

"I'm not sick!" he declared. "You can't cut me because I'm not sick!"

"I will not cut you," Sasuke explained. "I'll use a needle, a small one, you won't feel it." He

tried to reassure the kid, attempting again to touch him. It had been easier to take the first sample when the boy was sleeping.

Naruto permitted the gesture, forcing himself to calm down at the other man's warmth. Sasuke stepped out of the car with the boy, getting a sterilized needle and a syringe. He murmured sweet nothings to the boy, helping him to relax his body as he took the blood.

"I feel dizzy," he admitted as he looked at his fingers, seeing them blurry. His body stiffed when he felt the needle moving inside his veins. "I don't like it." His voice hitched with panic. "Make it stop."

"It's over already," Sasuke said, staunching the miniscule puncture with a cotton ball and covering it with bandage. "It's already over, Naruto," he whispered soothingly, holding the trembling boy. "Do you want to hear a tale?"

Naruto nodded, flashes of a dark place repeating in his mind. It was scary, so scary, but Sasuke's voice brought him a little of peace. He soon found himself entertained by the story:

'_The Emperor Ichijo, who reigned at the end of the tenth century, dreamed one night that he received a divine command to have a sword forged by a certain smith named Kokaji Munechika of Sanjo in Kyoto. He sends his vassal Tachibana Michinari to order the smith to make the sword._

_Kokaji Munechika was troubled by the Emperor's order, for he had no assistant of sufficient skill to wield the counter hammer. In despair, he comes to the Inari Shrine to pray to his patron, Inari Myojin, the God of Grain. There he is accosted by a young boy carrying a bundle of rice ears. To Munechika's surprise, the lad calls him by name and tells him that he need not fear obeying the Imperial order, as a skilled assistant will be forthcoming. Munechika asks in amazement how the boy knows of his tasks. _

"_Heaven has a voice which is heard upon earth. Walls have ears and stones tell tales. There are no secrets in the world. The flash of the blade ordered by him who is above the clouds is quickly seen. By the grace of the Emperor the sword shall be quickly made," the boy replies and tells Munechika to go home and prepare his forge, and then vanishes._

_After all preparations have been made, the Imperial messenger Tachibana Michinari arrives to take delivery of the sword while Munechika awaits the arrival of the promised assistant._

_Suddenly on the hanamichi, there appears Inari Myojin in the guise of a fox, the animal sacred to him. He joins Munechika and together they forge the blade. When it is done, Munechika engraves his name on one side and offers it to his assistant, who places his on the other. The fox prophesizes that this sword will bring peace and prosperity, and then vanishes._

_When Munechika examines the blade to discover the name written there, he finds "Kogitsune" or Little Fox and it is by this name that the sword is known ever after. In the end, Munechika joyfully delivers the weapon to the Imperial messenger, fulfilling his duty.'_

Sasuke sighed in relief to see the boy wasn't trembling or pale anymore. He took his sword and showed to the kid, smiling as his blue eyes took in the inscription 'Kogitsune'. Naruto gasped and grinned at the Captain, a new sense of hope blooming within his chest.

…

Naruto napped with the car's rocking, a small blanket covering his body. Sasuke had placed the blood sample on the computer's analyzer and the results mirrored the ones Sakura had sent him. There was no mistake.

Sasuke looked at the sleeping boy, more questions arising in his mind about the kid. It shouldn't be possible for an orphan child, who lived on the streets and who was visibly malnourished to have an immune system in perfect condition. He had no diseases, which was a relief, but too unusual to be believed. Even the drug tests came out negative, which should have been a mistake considering the small dosage of coca leaves he had taken shortly before having his blood drawn.

However, nothing. It didn't make sense.

Sasuke would have liked to run more accurate and deeper analysis to understand how he boy's body functioned. It could be the key to understand why Akatsuki was targeting him but for the time being, it was impossible due to the scarce of resources. He would leave the information in Jiraiya's hands and hope for the best.

…

A few hours of silence later, Naruto was utterly bored. His legs drummed on the carpet, anxious to move but locked inside the small space. The silence irritated his overactive mind, making him imagine various scenarios and revive painful past experiences.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Sasuke asked, watching the boy 'dancing' on the seat.

"No," the boy said quickly. "How long until Ishi?" he asked impatiently.

The Captain smirked at the childish question, and considered answering with a typical 'Soon,' but he chose honesty. "Two days."

"What?! But you said we would rest for the night there. How am I gonna pee or take a dump?"

"I did tell you we have a chemical bathroom installed in the back of the car." The Captain retrieved a squared object from one of the many compartments and handed to the boy, "Here, have fun."

The blue eyes took in the dispositive with care, widening to realize what it was. "Wow, a tablet! I never saw one so close! How do you use it?"

"There is a small button on the side, turn it on and find out for yourself."

"Awesome!" His eyes glinted at the mobile, his fingers fast to explore what it could do, busying himself with the infinite games and possibilities the device provided. He was too absorbed in a non-ending game when Sasuke stepped on the breaks, causing both to suffer inertia's influence. "What the fuck?!"

Sasuke ignored the outburst to hop out of the car, fuming at whom he saw. "What are you doing here?!"

Karin took off the helmet to look at her captain dead in the eye, seriousness and determination glowing in her ruby orbs. "Captain Kono-hana sent me to enforce the boy's safety, Captain Inari," she said getting off the motorcycle.

"Go back, Genkuro. This is my final order." Sasuke said coldly, angered by the disobedience of his primary orders. It was _his_ mission. "You need to assure the safety of the other children."

"No sir, Captain Kono-hana has the situation under control. It's a better option to be here with you, my Captain." She kneeled in front of him, showing her respect despite her words.

The feeling of metal touched her neck, making the woman grit her teeth in frustration, the blade of the sword as cold as Captain Inari's voice. "I don't want you here, Karin. You'll only get in the way, you're too weak to protect me," he said arrogantly, trying to humiliate the girl.

Karin stood up when the blade left her neck, then silently mounted the vehicle and left. If Sasuke thought of her as useless and weak, then there was nothing she could do against the orders of her superior.

The Captain watched the cloud of sand that billowed in the wake of the girl. "I'm sorry Karin, but I can't let you die on me. I'm capable of protecting Naruto on my own." Without looking back, he entered the car, dismissing the questioning eyes of the boy.

***Nori means seaweed**

**AN: Great news everyone, I have a Beta (breather) now and she's absolutely amazing, so cheers for her! So I reposted the improved version of the previous two chapters.**

**Here's the list of the correlation between characters and their codenames until now. I'll update it as the story goes.**

**Captain Inari – Sasuke**

Inari Ōkami is the Japanese kami of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and Sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of sword smiths and merchants.

**Genkuro**** – Karin **

Hair-cutter: kitsune who made a habit of tracking down women in Tokyo, and cutting off their hair. Throughout the play, it is learned that kitsune are feminine in nature.

**Koan**** – Suigetsu**

Buddhist priest: a kitsune who would wander around, telling others he was a Buddhist Priest to be invited into homes, where he would tell sermons and be treated as a proper guest.

**Gengoro**** – Juugo**

Express messenger: a kitsune known for having the strength, speed, and vitality of three people.

**Kono-hana – Sakura**

Konohanasakuya-hime is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the sakura (cherry blossom). Kono-hana is also the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes.

**Gyosha – No one specific**

Means driver according to google translator.


End file.
